Squeeze open lid

Abstract

Closure devices provide squeeze to open capabilities wherein a section of a lip including the rim 10 of the container may be manipulated outwardly of the closure device by squeezing the container and thereafter returned to the closure device by relaxing the squeeze. A top plating is provided below the rim engaging the container, with diverging corrugations 25 providing compressible sections 15 permitting the lip be manipulated outwardly for drinking therefrom.

We claim: 
     
       1. A closure device providing squeeze to open capabilities for covering an open top of a flexible, resilient beverage container, said open top being defined by an upper rim with an inside wall, said closure comprising: a flexible, resilient top plate;   an arcuate front edge on said top plate for abutting against an opposite portion of said inside wall of said upper rim; and   compressible sections comprising a plurality of corrugations in the top plate on each side of said arcuate front edge radiating to said arcuate front edge so that said top plate compresses upon the application of a squeezing force for permitting a portion of the upper rim opposite said arcuate front edge on said top plate to flex outwardly from said arcuate front edge thereof.   
     
     
       2. The closure device set forth in claim 1 including outer and inner gripping rings integral with an edge of said top plate and extending about said top plate for receiving said rim therebetween; and a gap in the outer gripping ring of the closure device through which said portion of the rim may flex outwardly and providing space for adjacent sections of the outer and inner gripping rings to be moved inwardly.   
     
     
       3. The closure device set forth in claim 1 wherein said compressible sections in the top plate are composed of relatively thin plastic and said corrugations radiate out from sections of the inner gripping ring and converge inwardly to the arcuate front edge. 
     
     
       4. The closure device set forth in claim 3 including a stationary section in the top plate of the closure device, said stationary section containing strengthening ridges and ledges as well as an upwardly indented reservoir and a downwardly indented area for reception of the projecting tip of a users nose. 
     
     
       5. The closure device set forth in claim 4 including gripping rings which are sufficiently flexible to allow inward flexing in response to inward pressure from a gripped sidewall of the enclosed container while providing support for holding the gripped section of the rim of the enclosed container in a regularly curved shape thus enhancing the ability of the wall of the enclosed container to resist the bending moment resulting from inward pressure when applied by the user, said gripping rings also transferring pressure to the portion of the rim of the enclosed container during the opening process thus adding to the distance a lip of the container is projected during the opening process. 
     
     
       6. The closure device set forth in claim 5 wherein the gripping rings and the compressible sections of the closure device store energy during the opening process which, upon relaxation of inward pressure on the container by the user, reverses the opening process and returns the container and closure to approximately their original closed positions. 
     
     
       7. The closure device set forth in claim 6 wherein the top plate of the closure device is constructed to be in used spaced below the level of the top of the rim of the enclosed container thus reducing the chance of runovers due to overfills or other causes.